


Fire Burns Brighter in Darkness

by LailaLiquorice



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Graphic Violence, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-14 13:19:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4566081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LailaLiquorice/pseuds/LailaLiquorice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even from birth, Kindlekit's life was never easy. But the fire that burns within her, brighter even than the flaming ginger of her pelt, can never be quenched. Even when she's lost everything. </p><p>[[Updates Wednesdays and Weekends]]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Allegiances

** ASPENCLAN **

LEADER:  
Alderstar: Tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

DEPUTY:  
Shadestorm: Blue-grey tom with amber eyes (apprentice: Raggedpaw)

MEDICINE CAT:  
Brackentail: Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes (apprentice: Littlepaw)

MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE:  
Littlepaw: Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

WARRIORS:  
Brindlefall: Brown and white she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice: Marshpaw)  
Heronglare: Black and white tom with amber eyes  
Shadowclaw: Dark smoky tom with amber eyes (apprentice: Twilightpaw)  
Silverstripe: Grey tabby tom with green eyes (apprentice: Bluepaw)  
Swantail: Pale grey she-cat with blue eyes  
Tawnyfeather: Dappled brown she-cat with yellow eyes (apprentice: Lionpaw)  
Whitelily: White she-cat with yellow eyes (apprentice: Sedgepaw)

APPRENTICES:  
Bluepaw: Blue-grey tom with blue eyes  
Lionpaw: Fawn she-cat with amber eyes  
Marshpaw: Lilac she-cat with murky golden eyes  
Raggedpaw: Dark smoky tom with yellow eyes  
Sedgepaw: Dark ginger tabby tom with blue eyes  
Twilightpaw: Silver and black tabby tom with yellow eyes

QUEENS:  
Fernbreeze: Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

KITS:  
Thistlekit: Black tom with leaf green eyes  
Foxkit: Russet she-cat with amber eyes  
Nightkit: Dark grey she-cat with amber eyes

ELDERS:  
Brambleheart: Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

 

* * *

 

 

**WILLOWCLAN**

LEADER:  
Creekstar: Silver and white tabby tom with blue eyes

DEPUTY:  
Thicketfrost: Grey tabby tom with green eyes (apprentice: Thornpaw)

MEDICINE CAT:  
Frostwing: Black and white she-cat with yellow eyes (apprentice: Rushlight)

MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE:  
Rushlight: Sandy tom with green eyes

WARRIORS:  
Dovemoon: Pale grey she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice: Palepaw)  
Liongaze: Ginger tom with green eyes  
Lichenpad: Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes (apprentice: Floodpaw)  
Owlfleck: Specked brown she-cat with yellow eyes  
Rockpelt: Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes  
Splashstone: Grey and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Stonedust: Solid grey tom with green eyes (apprentice: Hailpaw)

APPRENTICES:  
Floodpaw: Slate grey tom with green eyes  
Hailpaw: Brown tabby and white she-cat with blue eyes  
Palepaw: Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes  
Thornpaw: Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

QUEENS:  
Feathercloud: silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
Minnowflash: Black she-cat with a white chest and green eyes

KITS:  
Runningkit: Grey and brown tom with amber eyes  
Stormkit: Silver and black tom with blue eyes

ELDERS:  
Mosswhisker: Patchy black and white she-cat with amber eyes  
Pebblestream: Blue-grey tom with green eyes  
Ripplecreek: Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

 

* * *

 

 

**RAVENCLAN**

LEADER:  
Fallowstar: Pale brown tom with leaf green eyes

DEPUTY:  
Goldclaw: Black tom with striking golden eyes

MEDICINE CAT:  
Brightpool: Pure white she-cat with bright amber eyes

WARRIORS:  
Flowerheart: Grey and white she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice: Cloudpaw)  
Hazelflame: Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes  
Larksky: Pale brown she-cat with amber eyes  
Lightsong: White she-cat with grey eartips and blue eyes  
Russetshade: Red tom with amber eyes  
Shimmerfrost: Silver she-cat with yellow eyes (apprentice: Dustpaw)  
Stoneclaw: Ebony tom with green eyes  
Swiftheart: Black and white tom with mint green eyes

APPRENTICES:   
Cloudpaw: Brown and white tabby tom with green eyes  
Dustpaw: Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

QUEENS:  
Dawnstripe: Golden tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Jadefeather: Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes  
Moorstep: Brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

KITS:  
Emberkit: Tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes  
Galekit: Pearly grey tom with green eyes  
Gorsekit: Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes  
Kindlekit: Dark ginger she-cat with copper eyes  
Russetkit: Red tabby tom with green eyes

ELDERS:  
Dovepool: Light grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes


	2. Prologue

_'There's just too much to loose' :: Terrible Things [Mayday Parade]_

* * *

 

 

"Lightsong? Liiiightsooong?"

The white she-cat planted her paws firmly over her grey-tipped ears as the voice interrupted her dreams, bringing her sharply back into the waking world. Hearing her name called for a third time she gave up on the hope of grabbing more sleep before the dawn patrol she'd been assigned on set out. Upon opening one eye just a crack she could just about make out the form of a familiar face leaning over her, the amber eyes shadowed with a mixture of tiredness and relief.

"Whazzamatta Brightpool?" Lightsong mumbled almost incoherently, still not quite awake.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on becoming an aunt." Came the reply, Brightpool's voice holding a hint of amusement.

Her words quickly sunk into Lightsong's mind and she sat up abruptly, blinking away the tiredness from her blue eyes. "The kits are here? Oh great StarClan, why didn't anyone tell me!"

"I think your sister wanted a little privacy, but she asked me to wake you now. There was nothing to worry about, everything went incredibly smoothly and the kits are- Lightsong not so fast!" Lightsong was gone from the warriors den before Brightpool finished her sentence, and the medicine cat could do nothing but follow her into the nursery.

Almost hidden in the gloom of the den was a golden tabby she-cat with her tail curled protectively around something in front of her belly which emitted a muffled squirming sound. An ebony tom stood behind them with a proud look in his gold eyes, and as Lightsong entered the nursery he looked up sharply. His features softened into a smile as he recognised the sister of his mate, and with his nose he gently nudged the golden she-cat's ear.

"Dawnstripe," he murmured quietly, "your visitors have arrived." Dawnstripe glanced up at Lightsong before beckoning her over with her tail. The white she-cat quickly crossed the nursery to sit just in front of her sister, looking down at the two kits she was nursing. The largest was pearly grey in colour, his fur spiked from where he had been recently washed, and the other was almost an exact copy of her mother.

"They're beautiful," Lightsong whispered, captivated by the tiny bundles of life nestled in her sister's fur. "Do they have names yet?"

Dawnstripe chuckled, "Not quite. Goldclaw suggested Windkit and Firekit, but I think they're a little too ... too ordinary."

"Sometimes simple can be better." Another voice sounded and Lightsong turned to see a brown tabby queen watching the kits with a fond look in her blue eyes. Her own two kits, a tortoiseshell and a dark brown tabby scarcely older than Dawnstripe's own, slept soundly amongst her fur.

"I agree with Moorstep." Goldclaw rumbled with a note of laughter in his voice. "But it's your choice, my love. You've always been better than me when it comes to being creative."

"I do like your names," Dawnstripe insisted, gazing adoringly up at her mate, "I think they'd suit them well. But surely great warriors should have an original name that they can be known as?"

"I could never disagree with you, my dear. What do you have in mind?"

Dawnstripe touched the grey tom with her tail. "Galekit, for he already seems strong. And Kindlekit for the she-cat."

"She'll burn like flame with a name like that." Lightsong purred, watching her tiny niece let out a huge yawn. "I think they're perfect, sister."

A satisfied smile appeared on Dawnstripe's face. "Thank you. Do you like them Gold... Goldclaw?" A look of pain crossed the golden she-cat's face, her whole body tensing up and causing the kits to mewl.

The warm look vanished from Goldclaw's eyes at his mate's sudden distress, the fur rising at the back of his neck. "Are you alright? What's the matter?"

Lightsong looked round for Brightpool but the medicine cat was already by her side, touching a paw to Dawnstripe's belly. "More contractions. There's a third kit on the way, and something's not right."

The words hung in the air like fog, and as Lightsong looked around there was an identical look of fear in every cat's eyes. Suddenly feeling incredibly helpless she took an uncertain step backwards, causing Brightpool to glance in her direction. "I need raspberry leaves from the herb store, and quickly. This kit isn't hanging around."

The medicine cat's usually soft voice hardened as she spoke, sounding nothing like her usual self. Lightsong wasn't sure whether it was Brightpool's worry that frightened her most, or the low-pitched moans coming from Dawnstripe. The sudden need to get out of the tense environment for a moment overwhelmed her and she backed out of the nursery before turning round and heading for the medicine cat den.

 _/Raspberry raspberry raspberry... thistles and thorns why didn't I ask what they looked like?/_  Lightsong's thoughts were racing as she fumbled around in the herb store. Her blood turned to ice when she heard a thin wail split the calm night, followed by Goldclaw's panicked cry. Giving up on trying to select the right herb, she grabbed one of every leaf she thought might be correct and sprinted back to the nursery.

"Hold on, Dawnstripe," Lightsong heard Brightpool growl just after she entered the sheltered den, but a shriek of pure distress brought her skidding to a halt. Her eyes locked with Dawnstripe's frightened gaze, before the queen's eyes rolled upwards and her shallow breathing stilled.

 _/No/_  Lightsong felt numb as she stepped into the nursery, picking her way through the gloom to stand beside Brightpool. She barely registered Goldclaw's distraught moaning, her eyes fixed on her sister's lifeless body. Suddenly realising that the kits weren't there she dragged her gaze upwards to look at the medicine cat, the lump in her throat preventing her from voicing her question.

"Kindlekit and Galekit are with Moorstep." Brightpool murmured to Lightsong's relief, sorrow thick in her voice. "The third one is here."

Lightsong's breath caught in her throat as she looked down on the third kit. The coat colour was barely recognisable beneath the blood, but she could just about make out auburn tabby stripes. That was not what held her gaze though; the limbs were twisted, and the mangled chest barely moved as the tiny tom fought for air.

A loud sob broke the silence and Lightsong was almost bowled over by Goldclaw as the grieving tom thrust his way through the Nursery, the she-cats' pleas for him to stay falling on deaf ears. She felt Brightpool stiffen beside her and looked down to see the mangled kit had been lost.

"His name is Russetkit." Lightsong broke the silence, tears dripping down her face as she spoke. "I think Dawnstripe would like that."

"They'll be together in StarClan." Moorstep nodded, the shock that Lightsong felt mirrored on the brown tabby queen's face. Part of Lightsong felt like she was still dreaming, that if she wished hard enough she'd be back in her nest and Brightpool would be waking her with the good news. "I'll look after them for her."

"I have to help." Lightsong insisted brokenly, and Moorstep nodded with understanding in her saddened gaze. Comforted by the sight of her niece and remaining nephew suckling strongly alongside Moorstep's kits, she took a step backwards to cast her gaze out of the nursery entrance.

The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a golden glow over the camp and the black silhouette that stood in silent vigil with his back to the nursery.


	3. Chapter 1

_'It's time to begin' :: It's time [Imagine Dragons]_

* * *

 

Everything was still in the nursery, occupied only by two dozing queens and the moon-old kits that were nestled in the crook of the tortoiseshell queen's belly. The other she-cat flicked an ear as an excited cry was heard from outside the den, and opened one blue eye just enough so she could peer out the entrance. Spotting the cause of the cry, she sighed, despite the smile etched across her face. She closed her eyes again in preparation for the inevitable.

Sure enough, the quiet was destroyed by a black and amber blur streaking into the den and tumbling straight into a third nest, vacant but still smelling strongly of its occupant. The tortoiseshell was followed closely by three other kits of the same age, all running around on thin, lanky legs and waving their tiny tails excitedly in the air.

"I thought I asked you all to play outside?" The tortoiseshell queen reprimanded them gently, using her tail to draw her own kits closer to her belly. A blue-pointed tabby raised her head and mewled slightly with the movement, blinking wide blue eyes up at the older kits. "Hush, Palekit," the queen soothed, looking expectantly at the tortoiseshell kit who'd first barged in.

"Sorry Jadefeather," the tortoiseshell smiled apologetically, before turning round to face the other queen. "Moorstep, can we show you something? It's really exciting, we promise. Lightsong's on patrol again so we can't show her yet" The pearly grey kit beside the tortoiseshell sighed, a forlorn note in his voice.

Moorstep gave the grey tabby a sympathetic look. "Galekit, you shouldn't get too upset. Really, she's still a warrior, Emberkit, even though she has her nest in here for the time being. She still has to patrol and hunt like the rest of the warriors." She turned to address the ginger tabby kit, who looked as though she was about to boil over with frustration. "What's the matter Kindlekit?"

"Well, she's all the mother we've got, so she should be here for me and Galekit just as much as you're here for Emberkit and Gorsekit." Kindlekit mewed crossly. She looked over at the her brother but he refused to meet her gaze,

Moorstep and Jadefeather exchanged glances, making it clear to Kindlekit that neither queen was sure how to respond to her remark. She was beginning to regret her outburst, knowing full well that it wasn't anyone's fault that her true mother had died while giving birth to her and Galekit.

"Anyway," Emberkit piped up loudly; Kindlekit guessed she was eager to change the subject. "Can you come outside Moorstep? We already asked Fallowstar and he said he was busy, and otherwise we've got no-one to show off our moss ball skills to."

Moorstep laughed at her daughter's remark. "Your father has plenty of things he needs to get done outside camp today. Why don't you go and show Hazelflame?" she suggested to the kits. Kindlekit vaguely recognised the name Hazelflame, remembering him to be Moorstep's brother. "I'm sure he'd like to see what you can do, and he might know where Lightsong is."

"Can Palekit, Kitekit and Sootkit come with us?" Gorsekit asked, peering over Jadefeather's tail to look at the younger litter. As Kindlekit joined him, the ginger and mottled grey pelts of Kitekit and Sootkit respectively rose and fell peacefully in sleep but Palekit was watching her with an eager glint in her owlish eyes.

"Not quite yet, though it won't be long before they're up and about." Jadefeather said, shoeing the two older kits away with her tail in the direction of the nursery entrance. "They're too young and you might hurt them. I'm sure Hazelflame will keep you all occupied."

The kits wasted no time in bouncing back into the main clearing of the camp, wanting to avoid Jadefeather's sharp tongue as much as possible. "What does Hazelflame look like again?" Emberkit asked, looking expectantly at her brother and denmates for an answer.

"Like Moorstep, I guess." Kindlekit shrugged, turning her head to try and see all the warriors at once. A brown tabby pelt caught her eye, a little lighter than Gorsekit's fur but matching Moorstep's almost exactly. Not needing any more persuasion, Emberkit scampered over to where the yellow-eyed warrior sat with another cat that Kindlekit didn't recognise.

"Are you Hazelflame?" Emberkit asked loudly, not seeming at all fazed by the two strangers looking down on them. He nodded and opened his mouth to speak but the grey and white she-cat beside him beat them to it.

"You must be Moorstep's kits," she said with a warm smile. Emberkit and Gorsekit nodded eagerly, while Kindlekit only rolled her eyes. Her smile faltering slightly, she-cat added hastily "And Goldclaw's. Do you know who I am?" As the faces of all four kits scrunched up in thoughtfulness she let out a quiet laugh. "My name's Flowerheart, and it's lovely to see you all again."

"Can we show you how good we are at moss ball, Hazelflame?" Gorsekit asked, a pleading note in his voice. "Moorstep said you'd like to see it."

Hazelflame looked hesitant, and it took him a while to answer Gorsekit's question. "Sorry kits, but Flowerheart and I are going hunting. Someone's got to keep you all fed!" He laughed then, but Kindlekit wasn't sharing his amusement. Before any of the kits could protest, both warriors were both up on their feet and heading towards the camp entrance. "Maybe later, ok?" He called just before the gorse tunnel swallowed them up.

Emberkit sat down hard, a dejected look in her yellow eyes. "Why does every cat have to be patrolling?" She moaned loudly "There's no one to play with us!"

"He thinks we're a burden." Kindlekit growled slightly as she spoke.

"I think a lot of cats think that kits are burdens." Gorsekit shrugged, his eyes wandering to the moss ball that they'd abandoned before entering the nursery in search of Moorstep. "Do you guys want to carry on playing? We could show the other cats how good we've got another time."

Galekit nodded as he trotted over to the moss ball, rolling it back over with his nose. "Who's starting?"

"I am!" Emberkit cried, haring across the clearing to give the moss ball a mighty swipe with her front paw.

Kindlekit ducked as it flew over her head, and turned round just in time to see Gorsekit give it a gentler hit in her direction. She moved it on to Galekit with a neat header, but just before her brother could have his turn, Emberkit had intercepted him with a flying leap.

"Hey, that's not fair." The grey tabby frowned at his denmate, and upon seeing his dejected face she let the ball roll to the ground.

"Sorry, Galekit." Emberkit sighed before rolling the ball towards him with her paw. He smiled gratefully at her before taking a few steps back from the ball.

"This one's for you, Kindlekit!" Galekit's shout rang out loud and clear, and Kindlekit dropped into a crouch in preparation to repeat the header she'd pulled off earlier. "Get ready!"

Galekit dove into the ball, flinging it high into the air towards Kindlekit. Realising she was far too close to be able to hit the ball she started to scuttle backwards without bothering to check the area behind her was clear. Just as she was about to jump towards the ball she reversed into something hard and furry, causing her to tumble over and find herself wedged in between the two black paws of an ebony tom cat. Kindlekit's pupils narrowed with shock as she realised she was looking into the eyes of her father and Clan deputy.

She instantly scrambled to her feet and took a couple of hasty steps back, completely unsure of how the ebony-furred tom would react to her barging into him. She knew from Lightsong telling her that he had scarcely visited his kits since Dawnstripe's death, all the love and affection he'd felt towards them secluded beneath layers and layers of grief and regret. She could sense Galekit, Emberkit and Gorsekit not far behind her, but it seemed in that moment that nothing mattered aside her and Goldclaw.

"A-are you hurt?" Goldclaw asked hesitantly after what seemed like an eternity of silence, the shock Kindlekit felt in encountering him so suddenly reflected in his hollow golden eyes. Completely lost for words, she could only shake her head wordlessly. Seeming to realise that the other kits were present, he dragged his gaze over each of them in turn. "What were you playing?"

All four kits were quiet then, not even Emberkit finding a suitable answer to blurt out. Eventually, Galekit visibly composed himself and took a couple of short steps in Goldclaw's direction. "Moss ball. Would you like to play?" he answered politely, the lack of emotion on his face concerning Kindlekit even more than their father's gaunt look.

Evidently startled by his son's offer, Goldclaw shook his head hastily. "I, err, was asked this morning to talk to Fallowstar about important things." Without waiting for the kits to reply he sprinted across the camp and vanished into the leader's den, not once looking back at his abandoned children.

"But Fallowstar's on patrol today. Moorstep told us this morning." Emberkit objected loudly as soon as Goldclaw was in the den and safely out of earshot. It was clear that she'd regained control over her tongue now that the tense presence provided by the Clan deputy had gone. "I bet it was just an excuse."

Kindlekit winced at her comment; for all of her tortoiseshell denmate's cheerfulness she could also be painfully insensitive without realising it. Galekit sighed, trotting over to Kindlekit before nudging her shoulder comfortingly with his nose. "I don't think he likes us," he mused aloud.

"He's just sad about Dawnstripe." Kindlekit managed to respond, her gaze drawn to her own gleaming ginger coat. She suddenly found herself wishing that it had been her brother who'd encountered Goldclaw first, as his pearly grey coat looked nothing like their mother and probably wouldn't have reminded him so much of his lost mate.

Movement in the corner of her eye caught Kindlekit's attention and she looked up to see Fallowstar emerging from his den beneath the tree which had fallen long before any cat could remember, with Goldclaw following soon after. She dropped her gaze to her paws upon seeing her father again, finding him painful to look at after he rejected her and Galekit even though she realised he may not have meant it deliberately.

"See- you're so judgemental sometimes!" Kindlekit whipped her head round to see Gorsekit snarling at his sister, an accusing light in his eyes. His gaze softened when he met Kindekit's eyes, suggesting, "Maybe he did have a good excuse?"

Kindlekit was saved from replying by Emberkit's cry of "Look! Lightsong's back!" Kindlekit looked towards the direction her friend was facing to see a stream of cats entering the camp, the blue-eyed white she-cat one of them. She bounded towards the kits and touched her nose to Galekit and Kindlekit's heads in turn.

"What did you do on your patrol?" Galekit asked, curiosity in his mint-green eyes.

"It wasn't just a patrol, we were assessing Cloudpaw and Dustpaw's hunting skills." Kindlekit looked past her aunt to see the two brown-pelted apprentices chatting outside the apprentice's den, the excitement in their voices clear even though she couldn't make out any words. "It shouldn't be too long before they finish their training. And after that it'll only be a couple of moons before you get to start yours!"

Anticipation flooded through Kindlekit's veins at Lightsong's last words, mirrored in the eyes of her denmates. "We're going to be apprentices soon!" Emberkit squealed loudly, making Gorsekit, who had the misfortune of being stood next to her, wince and cover his ear with a paw.

"I'll be deaf forever now after that," he sniffed disdainfully, but a wicked smile broke out on his face as he dodged a playful swipe from Emberkit. "Hey, that means Hazelflame and Flowerheart won't have to hunt for us anymore!"

"It means no-one has to do anything for us anymore!" Kindlekit declared, light shining in her coppery eyes. "I can't wait!"

 

* * *

 

Enormous thanks to my amazing friend Trical for grammar-checking this chapter :3


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 2**

_'You can be the greatest, you can be the best' :: Hall of Fame [Maroon 5]_

* * *

 

“Kindlekit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Kindlepaw.”

Kindlepaw smiled proudly upon hearing her new name, looking up at Fallowstar as her leader spoke the ceremonial words. She could see her denmates watching her from out of the corner of her eye, all standing with their newly allocated mentors, and wondered briefly which warrior would be chosen for her. /Someone wise, who can teach me lots of things./

“Swiftheart, you will be Kindlepaw’s mentor.” Kindlepaw swivelled her head to see the black and white warrior get to his paws and join her beneath the Fallen Pine. She was pleased with the choice; although Swiftheart was aging fast and not too far away from joining Dovepool in the elders den, he was highly respected throughout the Clan for his vast experience. “You have taught many an apprentice, all with the same wisdom and warmth. I hope you pass on all your skills to this apprentice until she reaches warriorhood.”

Kindlepaw didn’t have to stretch too much to reach Swiftheart’s greying muzzle, her mentor not being a particularly big tom. “I’ll work hard!” She whispered as she touched her nose to his.

“I don’t doubt it, little one.” Swiftheart said, giving her a reassuring smile, before the pair retreated to stand with her denmates. A thrill of pride passed through her veins as the Clan started calling her name, the loudest voice undeniably belonging to Lightsong.

Once Fallowstar had jumped down from Fallen Pine, giving the signal for the Clan to start dispersing, Kindlepaw turned to her mentor. “Are we doing anything today?”

“I was thinking of a tour around the boundaries,” Swiftheart responded, glancing over at Russetshade who stood beside them. “Do you and Gorsepaw want to join us?”

“Can we please, Russetshade?” Gorsepaw asked eagerly. Kindlepaw was impressed how casual he was with his mentor; she had always thought of Russetshade as intimidating and knew that many others shared her opinion.

Russetshade shrugged. “I don’t see why not. We could head over to the WillowClan border, see what those fish-hearts have been up to lately.” His eyes lit up at the prospect.

Kindlepaw nudged her mentor’s shoulder to get his attention. “Why do we need to watch WillowClan especially?”

“Pays good attention, that one does.” Russetshade laughed, looking down at Kindlepaw. “I hope my one’s just as good!”

Swiftheart shifted a little on his paws. “There’s no need to pit the apprentices against each other,” he meowed in a stern voice, making Russetshade roll his eyes a little, before turning to look at Kindlepaw. “Recently we’ve been seeing a concerning amount of WillowClan patrols close to our borders. Fallowstar’s asked all the patrols to keep an eye on it, so we will head over there first.”

“Are Emberpaw and Galepaw coming with us?”

“No, we’re going over to the AspenClan border.” Larksky’s voice sounded and Kindlepaw turned to see Emberpaw with her mentor heading in the direction of the camp entrance. Galepaw and Flowerheart were following them; Kindlepaw guessed that the group had agreed to go together.

“There’s your answer then.” Swiftheart chuckled before starting out towards the camp entrance, Kindlepaw trotting next to him with Gorsepaw and Russetshade just behind.

“Should we get the apprentices to try hunting on the way?” Russetshade asked, “Let’s see who can catch the first piece of fresh-kill!”

Swiftheart didn’t bother to conceal the exasperated look on his face. “They’ve been apprentices for less than half a day! One thing at a time, I think.”

 

* * *

 

 

“WillowClan cats really /swim/!” The look on Gorsepaw’s face was of pure disgust as he peered into the creek that marked the border between RavenClan and WillowClan.

Russetshade nodded, looking equally as repulsed. “They really do. Must have webbed feet or something. Or maybe they’re part fish, it would explain why their border markers reek so much.”

“Why don’t you and Gorsepaw follow the stream upwards, while Kindlepaw and I follow the border this way,” Swiftheart suggested, “That way we’ll be able to cover more ground in the same period of time.” Kindlepaw didn’t mind this idea, Russetshade’s overbearing presence beginning to bother her a little, but it was easy to tell that Gorsepaw would have preferred to stay together in a group.

“I don’t see why not,” Russetshade shrugged, turning to walk back the other way. He flicked the tip of his tail in a signal for Gorsepaw to follow him, and with a dejected glance at Kindlepaw, the brown tabby apprentice trotted after his mentor.

Realising that Swiftheart was no longer beside her, Kindlepaw picked up her pace in order to keep up with him. “What was that for?” she asked. Only  then did she realise how abrupt she sounded, and she slapped her tail over her mouth. “Sorry,” she mumbled through a mouthful of ginger fur.

To her relief, her mentor only chuckled. “I’d forgotten how much of a pain in the tail that Russetshade is. So incredibly competitive. I only feel sorry for Shimmerfrost- being his sister must have been irritating at the best of times.”

Kindlepaw spared a moment to be grateful that Galepaw was easy to get along with. “Are we looking for anything particular along the border?” she asked, wanting to learn as much as possible on her first outing.

“Not really,” Swiftheart said, shaking his head, “but keep your senses alert for the smell of WillowClan. You should smell them coming easily, that fishy whiff they give off does nothing for their stealth!” he laughed.

Kindlepaw took a deep breath, drawing the air slowly over her scent glands, before stopping abruptly. There was an unnatural tang in the air, and a second scent confirmed that it was indeed fishy. “Like that smell?” she frowned as she called out to Swiftheart.

There was a shadow of irritation on the black and white tom’s face as he too tasted the air. “Exactly- well spotted.” His praise made Kindlepaw give her chest a couple of humble licks, but the look in her mentor’s eyes made her pay attention again. “Keep low and beside me, we won’t provoke them unless they cross the border first.”

Dropping into a crouch, Kindlepaw felt a thrill of exhilaration pass through her as she moved alongside Swiftheart. /I never imagined I’d be stalking enemy warriors on my first trip out of camp!/ she thought excitedly, though managed to keep her face serious. A rustle in the reeds made her stop, momentarily forgetting her mentor’s instructions to stay alongside him. Curiosity overwhelming her, she took a couple of steps towards the source of the noise, ears pricked for any further indications that she wasn’t alone.

Without warning a heavy weight dropped onto her back; Kindlepaw only had time to cry out with surprise before all the air was crushed out of her. From pure instinct alone she struggled to roll onto her back, kicking her legs up into the cat’s stomach. Her attacker, a white and brown tabby she-cat who was probably of a similar age to the new warriors Cloudleap and Dustfall, bared her teeth and took a threatening step towards her. Kindlepaw was too stunned to make a retaliating move, and this was even more the case when the she-cat was joined by a slate grey tom. With both cats looming over her, Kindlepaw could only try and scoot backwards, hoping that Swiftheart would hear the scuffle and be here to help her before long.

A black and white pelt streaking towards her initially made Kindlepaw think she was about to be faced with a third adversary, and it was only when the newcomer attacked the grey tom did she realised it was Swiftheart. Adrenaline surged through her veins and she leaped to her feet, copying her mentor and jabbing her claws towards the tabby she-cat.

“What in StarClan’s name is going on!” A voice shouted, and Kindlepaw risked looking away from her opponent to see Russetshade haring towards hem, a look of fury in his amber eyes. Gorsepaw was directly behind his mentor, his ears flat to his head as he glared at the two unknown cats.

“That’s exactly what I want to know.” Kindlepaw’s ears dropped slightly as a tall tortoiseshell she-cat appeared from between the reeds. It wasn’t hard to tell she was a WillowClan cat from the scent of fish that clung to her pelt, and now that she wasn’t wrapped up in fighting she was able to recognise that the two younger cats who had attacked her smelled the same.

Swiftheart got to his feet, using his tail to flick the odd crumb of dirt from his pelt. “Lichenpad,” He nodded in a greeting, “These two cats attacked my apprentice.” His voice was calm with the exception of a slight hint of anger, making Kindlepaw wonder how he could remain so composed when facing an enemy warrior. Russetshade shouldered his way past Kindlepaw and the other two WillowClan cats to stand beside his Clanmate, fur bristling and mouth set in the beginnings of a snarl.

Lichenpad took no notice of Russetshade and kept her stern gaze focused on Swiftheart. “They should have done nothing of the sort. Their assignment was merely to catch a quota of fish; it seems more likely to me that your apprentice was the one to approach them.

“They why are they all on the RavenClan side of the border!” Russetshade snapped viciously, earning him a warning look from Swiftheart.

“Sorry about all that.” Kindlepaw turned to see the now sheepish-looking tabby and white had taken a couple of steps backwards, giving her a bit more room. “I just saw a flash of red and thought you were a fox.”

/A feeble excuse,/ Kindlepaw thought, but decided voicing her opinion wouldn’t be a great idea in the current situation.

“My name’s Hailpaw,” the she-cat continued as if they were at a Gathering rather than currently having a border dispute, “and that’s my brother Floodpaw.” Floodpaw merely dipped his head, clearly sharing Kindlepaw’s doubts about talking so freely to cats they’d been fighting only moments ago. She could still hear the warriors arguing in the background, but thought it would be best to let them settle the dispute alone.

“I’m Gorsepaw,” Gorsepaw said as he moved to stand next to Kindlepaw. Still feeling a little too wary to start speaking, she was grateful when he added, “and this is Kindlepaw.” Figuring she ought to be a little courteous, she forced a smile and nodded to Floodpaw and Hailpaw in turn.

“Floodpaw, Hailpaw, come on!” Kindlepaw jumped slightly when the Lichenpad sharp voice cut through their conversation, and the WillowClan apprentices exchanged an uneasy glance before starting out towards her.

“It was nice meeting you both!” Hailpaw called behind her, earning her a disapproving look from Lichenpad. Kindlepaw couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when the three cats disappeared back through the reeds.

“Now who did they remind you of?” Gorsepaw whispered in her ear, making her tilt her head in confusion.

 /An outspoken she-cat and serious tom,/ Kindlepaw wondered, before the answer struck her and she gave Gorsepaw a triumphant smile. “Galepaw and Emberpaw!”

“See, maybe they’re not so different from us after all.” Gorsepaw smiled in return, but fell quiet when the two mentors padded over to join them.

“Good riddance.” Russetshade muttered under his breath. “I told you we needed to keep a close eye on those mangy warriors. They’d have the pelts of our backs if we weren’t careful!” This was directed at Swiftheart, clearly angry with the dispute that had taken place.

Swiftheart’s tail was flicking back and forth, the only sign of the unrest that Kindlepaw guessed he was unwilling to show. “They were only apprentices, accidents happen,” he contradicted firmly, “I seem to remember a certain red-pelted apprentice making the same mistake several times during his youth!”

Russetshade’s fur flattened down and he muttered a couple of inaudible words, before turning his gaze to look at Gorsepaw. “Let’s go and finish checking that boundary,” he meowed briskly before turning round abruptly and stalking back up the creek, leaving Gorsepaw to run along beside him.

“You did well back there,” Kindlepaw’s ears pricked with surprise at Swiftheart’s praise, “especially considering you were only a kit yesterday.”

“But I was only acting on instinct; there wasn’t much skill in it!” Kindlepaw protested.

Swiftheart gave her a warm smile. “Instinct is the basis of all fighting technique, as you’ll soon grow to learn. For the time being, however, I think we’ll head back to camp. You’ve had quite an eventful first training session, that’s for certain!”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Reviews and kudos are always appreciated, it makes the story more of a joy to write. Thanks again!


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